Steele Resigns / Gardner Joins Staff

LUBBOCK, Texas (December 16, 2011) - Lubbock Christian University head baseball coach Nathan Blackwood has announced Jeff Steele has resigned as pitching coach to accept a position with University of Central Oklahoma, and Matt Gardner will join the LCU staff and serve as the new Chaparrals pitching coach.

Gardner joins the Chaparrals staff after spending the past season as an assistant coach at Midland College.  He is a native of Andrews, Texas, where he graduated in 2004, and a graduate of Oklahoma State University.  At OSU, Gardner was a 2006 All-Big 12 honorable mention and regional all-tournament team member (Arkansas Regional) while spending three seasons (2005-2008) with the Cowboys.  He was drafted three times (Astros, Mariners, Dodgers) as both a catcher and a pitcher. Gardner is the son of Andrews High School head coach Rodney Gardner and Vickie Gardner.  Both parents are LCU graduates and Rodney was a 1975 All-American at Lubbock Christian playing under Larry Hays. Rodney went on to coach locally in Lubbock at Abernathy and Estacado before moving to Andrews.  Matt followed in the footsteps of his father once his playing career ended at OSU.  He spent two seasons (2009-2011) as a graduate assistant and pitching coach at OSU and served as the pitching coach at Ranger Junior College (2010) before heading to Midland College.

Steele, a native of British Columbia, accepted the position as Associate Head Coach for the NCAA Div. II University of Central Oklahoma.  He leaves after six seasons on the LCU coaching staff.  Steele was a graduate assistant and oversaw the junior varsity program in 2006 and spent the past five seasons as pitching coach.  During his time with LCU, the Chaparrals produced five Major League Baseball draft selections as pitchers and seven pitchers that signed professional contracts.  The Chaps pitching staffs have ranked in the top-five in strikeouts over the prior four seasons, including leading the NAIA last season.  The move for Steele will mark his second venture in Oklahoma.  He graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University, where he was a 2004 NAIA All-American.  Prior to arriving at LCU, where he completed his Master's Degree, Steele coached at Chattanooga State Community College.  Steele spent the summers following the Chaps seasons on the East Coast serving as a head coach in the Coastal Plains League (summer collegiate league).